International : September 9: Chinese astronauts are cultivating lettuce, sweet potatoes, mint and other crops in a “vegetable garden” aboard China’s space station. On the morning of September 9, astronaut Li Jia-ying shared the information with students on Earth during a special Hong Kong-Macao session of the “Tiangong Classroom.” Shenzhou-23 astronauts Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan were also present in the classroom.

Li Jia-ying further explained that the space “vegetable garden” consists of components such as cultivation containers, a water supply unit, a lighting unit and a ventilation unit, which together provide a favorable environment for plant growth. “When the vegetables mature, we will leave their roots intact so that we can always have fresh vegetables to eat,” she said.

Source: Anupama, Alim, Shishir, China Media Group.